Device for feeding and loading an explosion generator with explosive charges



April 22, 1969 DEVICE FOR FEEDING AND LOADING AN 1 9 3 Am 3R m L W AMGF R6 T A E H1 G I E E G v1 I N t 0 m c m U EM D C w INVENTORS c4400: News fi'm' 9 day o -e14 ATTORNEYS United States Patent DEVICE FOR FEEDING AND LOADING AN EXPLOSION GENERATOR WITH EXPLOSIVE CHARGES Claude Ducong, Le Vesinet, and Pierre Magneville, Vernouillet, France, assignors to Institut Francais du Petrole, des Carburants et Lubrifiants, Rueil-Malmaison, Hauts-de-Seine, France Filed Oct. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 675,208

Claims priority, application France, Oct. 18, 1966,

s ,485 int. c1. F42b 33/00 US. Cl. 891 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention has for its object a new device for feeding and loading an explosion generator of the type described in US. Patent 3,368,641 with explosive charges, this device offering the advantages of being of very simple design and easy to build.

This device essentially includes a magazine for explosive cartridges, this magazine being provided with an inclined slide terminated by a stop, for guiding and supporting the cartridge heads, a mechanism for releasing the cartridges from the stop by pushing these cartridges upwards, this slide being so positioned with respect to the loading tube, that a cartridge which has been released is located in the extension of the central aperture of a charger body surmounting the tube, this charger body being provided with a watertight gate With a device for simultaneously actuating this gate the device for releasing the cartridges, and a device supplying an injection of water under pressure to push the cartridges toward the bottom of the charging tube.

The invention will be described more in detail with reference to the attached drawing, showing an overallview of the device.

The feeding and loading device according to the invention is constituted by the following elements: a charger body 2 surmounting a loading tube 1 and including an internal channel 2a in the extension of the internal channel 1a of the tube.

A channel 3 for the inlet of water under pressure, provided with a valve 4, o ens out in the lateral wall of the charger body 2.

The latter includes at the upper part of the channel 2a a circular housing wherein is located a joint provided with lips 5 made of a resilient material. The charger body 2 may be closed at its upper part by means of a gate 7 provided with an element 6 of frusto-conical shape, providing for tightness by cooperating with the joint 5 when the gate 7 is closed. This gate is secured at one end thereof to the shaft 8 provided with a control handle 10 which is integral therewith and which has one end connected with the charger body 2 by means of a spring 11. The free end of the gate 7 is provided with a roller 9 with which a lock 12 comes into engagement for closing the gate. This lock is secured to a shaft 13 provided with a lever 14 which is integral therewith and which has one end linked to the piston rod of a pneumatic jack 15.

The feeding and loading device according to the in- Vention further includes an inclined cartridge magazine 22 provided at the upper part thereof with an inclined slide 23, only one of two parallel plates being shown which form a slot for receiving the cartridges, the plates supporting the enlarged heads of cartridges 24. These cartridges are slipped through an open end of the magazine, the latter being placed in a substantially vertical position and in such a way that its other end, which is equally open, is positioned above the channel 2a when the gate 7 is open. The heads of the cartridges 24 are in the shape of truncated cones.

The slide 23 is provided with a stop 23a near the outlet end of the magazine. The nose of the cartridges (i.e., the end thereof opposite the head which is sup ported by the slide 23) is free and not in contact with the lower wall of the magazine.

The device according to the invention is equally provided with a system for automatically distributing the cartridges from the magazine to the body of the charger 2, this system including a rocking element 21, such as for example a cam of cylindrical shape provided with a slot 21a. This rocking element is integral with a shaft 20 to which one end of a level 17 is freely linked. The other end of this level is linked to one end of a connectingrod 16 having its other end linked to the lever 10, near the end thereof which is connected to the spring 11. The movement of the rocking element 21 is controlled by a lever 18 having one end secured to the shaft 20 and the other end connected with the lever 17 by means of a spring 19.

The operation is synchronism of the different elements of the device is performed by a control circuit includ ing a tank of air under pressure 25 feeding the different branches of the circuit, a manipulator 26 controlling the action of the distributor 27 for the passage of the air towards the valve 4, this air flowing to the distributor 27 through push-rod distributors 33 and 34, which are respectively actuated by the levers 10 and 14, the valve 4 controlling the inlet of water under pressure towards the channels 2a, 1a, a push-rod distributor 28 controlling the passage of air for actuating a four-ways distributor 29 which controls the distribution of water under pressure for raising the piston of the jack 15 and for lowering this piston, through a push-rod distributor 32 actuated by the lever 14, an adjustable flow reducer 31 and a delay-valve 30.

The operation of the above-described circuit is as follows: in the initial position (shown by the appended figure), the gate 7 is kept in position of closure by the lock 12. In this position, the levers 10 and 14 respectively actuate the push-rods of the distributors 33 and 34 so as to close the air circuit through these distributors. The distributor 27 is then in position for letting the air under pressure flow towards the valve 4 from the tank 25 thrOugh the distributors 33 and 34. In this position the 3 valve 4 is open and water flows through the channels 3, 2a and la. The piston of the jack 15 is in its lower dead centre.

The distributor 32, which is directly fed from the tank 25, is in position of closure and does not let air flow to the distributor 29.

For loading cartridges, the manipulator 26 is operated so as to place the slide 27 in position of closure of the valve circuit.

Air does not come any longer to the valve 4, the latter is closed by means of a return spring and the circuit of water feeding the channel 3 is interrupted.

When the valve 4 is in its position of closure, it feeds the distributor 28, letting a free passage to the air which controls the actuation of the four-way distributor 29. The latter comes into its open position for the passage of the air which flows directly from the tank 25 and feeds the lower part of the cylinder of the jack 15 which is hinged in 15a at its bottom. The piston of the jack 15 begins to rise, the valve 4 being still closed and the upper part of the jack cylinder being connected with the outlet through the distributor 29. This piston having its end articulated at one end of the lever 14 causes the displacement of this lever resulting in the rotation of the shaft 13 and in the opening of the lock 12 which is integral therewith.

By continuing its rising movement, the end of the piston rod of the jack 15, being located in the same plane and below the lever 10, comes into abutment thereagainst and actuates this lever. The rotation of the lever causes the rotation of the shaft 8 and of the gate 7 which is integral therewith, and the extension of the spring 11. The gate 7 is opened. During its movement the lever 10 drives the connecting-rod 16 which drives itself one end of the lever 17, the other end of which freely pivots about the shaft 20.

As a result of the rotary motion of the the spring 19 starts to stretch.

When the elongation of the spring exceeds the value corresponding to the position of equilibrium between the levers 17 and 18, these levers suddenly pivot in opposite direction towards the upper part of the device.

During this movement, the shaft 20 integral with the lever 18 also pivots, thereby causing a sudden rotation of the rocking-element 21. This element upon pivoting slightly raises the head of the first cartridge 24 above the stop 23a and expels the cartridge from the magazine, this cartridge falling into the channel 2a of the charger-body.

At this instant, the piston of the jack is at the end of its stroke at the upper part of the jack, the lever 14 actuates the push-rod of the distributor 32 so that the air under pressure feeds the upper part of the jack for the lowering of the piston, through an adjustable flow reducer 31, a delay valve 30 and the distributor 29, the lower part of the cylinder of the jack being then connected wtih the outlet through the distributor 29.

During its downward movement the piston rod of the jack 15 drives the lever 14, and the lever 10 is therefore lowered, simultaneously driven back by the spring 11.

The gate 7 is closed by means of the shaft 8.

The levers 17 and 18 simultaneously pivot in opposite directions back to their respective initial positions. A new cartridge 24, the head of which slides along the guides 23, replaces the first one. The rocking element 21 takes back its initial position, driven by the shaft along with the movement of the lever 18.

The piston of the jack continues to move downwardly driving in rotation by means of the lever 14 the shaft 13 and the lock 12 which closes the door 7.

When the piston is at the end of its stroke at the lower part of the jack 15, the levers 10 and 14 respectively actuate the push-rods of the distributors 33 and 34 which deliver air to the distributor 27, which is moved back lever 10,

to its initial position and feeds the valve 4 again. The device being again in its initial position a new cycle can begin.

Obviously many loading devices of the above-described type can be actuated simultaneously. It is sufiicient for that purpose to connect in a known manner the different pneumatic circuits with one another.

It is also contemplated to simultaneously load It loading pipes which are respectively connected with n loading channels 2a located in one and the same charger-body and closed by means of one and the same gate provided with sealing cones 6, from a cartridge magazine provided with n slides having the same spacing as the corresponding loading channels.

We claim:

1. A device for supplying and loading explosive cartridges in an explosion generator having a loading tube, with the cartridges having a cylindrical tubular body provided at one end thereof with a widened head and at the other end thereof with a nose portion, comprising: magazine means for storing a plurality of the explosive cartridges and including an inclined slide bar terminating in a stop for engaging the cartridge heads and supporting the cartridges parallel in a row; said slide bar being mounted with respect to the loading tube so that a cartridge disengaged from said stop is in alignment with for dropping into the loading tube; said loading tube having a breech means for selectively opening and closing the end of said tubular body adjacent said slide bar; means for injecting water under pressure laterally through said tubular body between said breech means and a loaded cartridge in said body only when said breech means is closed to push the loaded cartridge in said loading tube away from said breech means, and said injecting means including valve means for controlling the supply of Water; means for serially disengaging the cartridges from the stop by upwardly pushing the cartridges out of engagement with the stop; and automatic control means for sequentially opening said breech means, actuating said disengaging means to drop a cartridge in said tube, closing said breech means, and actuating said injecting means to push the loaded cartridge away from the closed breech means.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said disengaging means includes a cam rotatably mounted to engage the nose portion of only the explosive cartridge engaging said stop.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said control means includes a fluid operated expansible chamber means providing the motive power for each of said breech means and said disengaging means.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said breech means is pivotally mounted; said control means including a mechanical linkage drivingly interconnecting said breech means and said disengaging means.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a fluid operated expansible chamber means providing the motive power for each of said breech means and said disengaging means.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said breech means is pivotally mounted; said control means including a mechanical linkage drivingly interconnecting said breech means and said disengaging means.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a pivotally mounted latch for holding said breech means in its closed position, a shaft drivingly connected to said pivotally mounted latch, a fluid operated expansible chamber device for pivoting said shaft, a second shaft pivotally mounting said breech mechanism for pivotal movement between its closed position and its open position, a lost motion driving connection between said expansible chamber device and said second shaft, cam means for engaging the nose portion of the cartridge engaging said stop for raising it out of engagement with said stop, a third shaft pivotally 5 6 mounting said cam means, and a driving mechanical con- References Cited nection between said second and third shafts. UNITED STATES PATENTS 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said valve 1,085,125 1/1914 HO a g1 an d 86 46 means 15 pressure operated, said control means lncludlng 1,094,129 4/1914 Dawson et a1 89 17 a plurality of fluid valves for controlling the supply of 5 2 92 533 0 1 5 Finn X fluid to said valve means and being actuated by engagement with at least one of said shafts, expansible chamber SAMUEL ENGLE, Examiner means, breech means, cam means, and mechanical driv- S L ing connection. 89-33 

